Tottenham are closing in on the signing of talented non-league winger Ollie Tanner, after seeing a bid accepted by Lewes.
According to the Athletic , the Isthmian Premier League club have reached an agreement with Spurs leaving the final decision up to the player himself.
Tanner, who spent time with Arsenal, Charlton’s and Bromley’s academies, already has 12 goals this season, putting him on the radar of Premier League clubs.
Southampton and Brighton had both been linked with the 19-year-old, with the Saints seeing a bid rejected earlier this week.
Lewes boss Tony Russell said of Tanner: “A fantastic young talent who has already shown he has a bright future in the game.”
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He also suggested he was “the best young player” he had worked with and his fee is set to have a “huge impact” on the club according to Russell.
Tanner played for Lewes on Saturday as they drew 2-2 with Brightlingsea Regent, earning huge praise from his manager, despite having his ‘worst game for the club’.
Russell told the Argus: “He is very level-headed and it hasn’t really affected him.
“However, Saturday was probably the worst game he has had for us. I don’t think it’s the pressure of football that’s bothering him.
“I think it’s all the outside stuff. A lot of stuff has been written on social media, he has been getting messages.
“To be fair he hasn’t said anything to me but I can only envisage myself at 19 years old.
“Could I handle it? Probably not as well as he has done, to be honest.
“He is very laid back and has got a good mindset. I’ve been speaking to him every day and our dressing room is very good.”
The boyhood Arsenal fan will now have time to decide whether the move to Spurs is right for him, although it is expected he will complete a deal ahead of Monday’s deadline.
Tanner’s imminent arrival will do little to quell the growing frustration of Tottenham supporters, having seen their side miss out on Antonio Conte’s top two targets.
For much of the month it looked inevitable that Adama Traore would end up a Spurs player, only for Barcelona to swoop in and agree terms with Wolves on a loan with an option-to-buy.
Luis Diaz then emerged as another potential signing, before Liverpool came in with a £37.5million offer which was accepted by Porto.
Conte has made no bones about the fact that he would like to improve the squad he inherited from Nuno Espirito Santo, one he claims has been decreasing in quality over recent years.
After losing to Chelsea, he told Sky Sports: “I think in the last few years, this gap became very, very big and it’s not simple to find a solution. For this reason, I am only focused on the players who work until the end.
“We will see, we have four months to give everything, but if we think we can solve the situation in the transfer market, it is not reality.
“You need many years, for sure we can start and we have to start, because in the last few years the level of the squad decreased instead of improving.”
